Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, having a twin is the only thing connecting me to Kishimoto-sensei.
A/N: I should be studying my ass off for the finals or writing updates for my multichapters or replying to these 15 PMs (I'm horribly sorry, guys!) but it's one of my two queens' birthday today and I just had to write this short one in tribute to the wonder of her. :)
Happy birthday, Haruno Sakura-chan (28.03)!
Haru
"C'mon…" she spits through gritted teeth. Sweat floats down her brow contorted in focus and she squeezes her eyes but refuses to give into tiredness. Green light glows lightly above the chest in front of her, dancing around her small hands and conveying all the remaining chakra she has to the shinobi dying on the sterile table.
Two minutes and thirty-three seconds… Thirty-four… Thirty-five…
How much time until all strength leaves her? It's not like she hasn't just performed the most difficult operation in her short career and isn't struggling to get a rebellious heart back into its normal pace.
"Sakura, can you still-?"
"Yes, shishõ," she cuts it short, ignoring Tsunade's hand on her shoulder. The older woman frowns. Sakura shouldn't be allowed to continue. Not only will the prolonged procedure wear her off beyond measure, it could also be potentially harmful to the patient.
"Sakura, I have to-"
Single strands of pink hair leave the tight bun, falling into her eyes when the young medic-nin jerks her head and concentrates on the frail sensation she's been too afraid to even acknowledge the possibility of not ever feeling from the man she has been handed the life of.
Thump… Thump… Thump…
"I can feel the heartbeat!" she announces loudly, giving out a deep breath of happiness. A wide grin blooms on her face and she gives out one more portion of chakra before slumping to the ground and having her senses blocked from the harsh hospital light and a woman's yell too quiet for her ears to hear.
X
"Are you ready?" Kakashi asks his former student, for once not reading any book but staring at her with his lazy eyes brightened with curiosity. She nods, silently pulling black gloves on. It's obvious that she's gathering her chakra. The sheer form of her taut body is enough to let him know this spar is going to be a challenge.
"Yes," she returns his gaze, her green orbs determined under the furrowed brows. Wind blows gently in between wisps of her hair and sunbeams make her skin glow lightly in warm summer light. Kakashi may be her hokage and her sensei, but she isn't going to hold back.
When she attacks, he barely has time to jump away from the heavy blow. She's fast, much faster than he remembers her to have been, even during the war.
"I'm impressed!" he shouts when she deals with his summoning dogs like with a pack of puppies "You haven't lazed around for the last few months" he praises and she grins, her gleeful smile enough to make him lose his full composure and gain her the time to jump up to him and press a kunai to his throat.
"Thank you," she answers proudly, loosening the grip only when he puts his hands in front of him in defeat.
X
"It's a hopeless case, Forehead," Ino moans, sighing heavily and propping her chin with an arm on the counter. The Yamanaka Flower Shop is heavy with a mixture of all kinds of sweet aromas, blinding with the amount of vivid colors as a result of a particularly rich spring outburst of life. Sakura shakes her head, her arms folded on her chest and a smirk curving her lips no matter how many times her friend has already complained that the issue was nothing to be amused about.
"Weren't you up for a challenge?" she asks, winking at the blonde and snorting when the other kunoichi gives out a depressed groan and rests her head on the wooden surface, covering it with her hands of perfect manicure. "I told you Sai's a tough one to handle," Sakura shrugs, not being able to hold back a laugh when Ino tries to shoot her a murderous glance despite the permanent pout twisting her pretty face.
"Yes, but I didn't know he was going to be so thick-headed!" she cries, desperation forcing her to grab Sakura's hand and beg "Please, I need your help! I've never felt this way before, it's just-!" her voice breaks, her fingers fisting at her chest and she looks so miserable Sakura doesn't have it in herself to tease her anymore.
"Ok. I'll help you," she promises and Ino's face lightening up in gratitude is so much more of a reward than what she could expect. "But..!" she stops the blonde's attempt to cage her in a bear hug "You have to listen to my guidelines on this one."
X
"Why is it that you always manage to get yourself into trouble when I give you a free hand?" Sakura grumbles and Naruto clasps his hands together in an apology. He's smiling despite having a shadow of guilt in his eyes and bandages all over his face and arms. Sai doesn't look any better but he doesn't seem anyhow perturbed, typical for him.
"You can't even imagine what the kids are like this days, Sakura-chan!" the blond tries in their defense, raising his arm over his head and instantly lowering it back, wincing. She rolls her eyes.
"You're too soft on them. If they play dirty, why don't you use your famous world-savior power to stop them from turning the village into a pile of rubble?" she counters, slamming her fist on the other palm and smiling the dangerously sweet smile Naruto would choose to avoid, if he was able to run away from her in his current state.
"I told him but he wouldn't listen," Sai agrees cheerfully, smiling. "He preferred to laugh at what they did to the Hokage Monument," he adds and a bolt of fear travels through Naruto's face at the sight of Sakura's rising eyebrow "He also said that the old hag couldn't possibly look any worse than she already did."
The sound of two hits on the head and Naruto's yelps attract the attention of every staff member of the Konoha hospital.
X
"Sakura! Sakura!" Mebuki yells, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor. "What's this girl even doing?!" she complains, shooting Kizashi a glare which only makes him sink lower into the newspaper he's been reading.
"Don't ask me, she's your daughter!" he tries, receiving a strike on the head with a dishtowel in return. Sakura's mother rests her hands on her hips and gives her husband a disapproving look.
"And what, you didn't have your part?" she taunts, annoyed, making him sigh and fold the paper neatly in front of him. He stands up and walks up to a cupboard where all important family photos stand. Sakura's first day at the Academy, the little girl smiling without confidence, pressed into her mother's form. Graduation day, her arms crossed in front of her and a pout on her face because Kizashi insisted on telling those horrible jokes of his in public, where all of her friends could hear. One from the genin times, with her hair of unique color cut short, sticking out funnily in a few places. Another one, this time from the chūnin exam. The whole family together after the war. Sakura's face looks much more serious and mature in the last two.
"But, you have to admit… We couldn't ask for anybody else, could we?" Kizashi asks softly and Mebuki's features smooth out. She joins her husband and looks at the mementos, touching the frames fondly.
"Yes, you're right."
X
"But there's something wrong about Sakura-san, you know?" one of the nurses whispers to the other. They are watching the young medic-nin from their hiding spot in the storeroom, gossiping while putting medical documentation in the right order. The said girl stands in front of the entrance hall counter, focused on a pile of papers she's been searching out for data for at least a dozen minutes.
"What? What do you mean?" her companion answers, peeking at their co-worker and, having seen nothing unusual, getting back to her work, uninterested. Her friend huffs in annoyance, moving closer to the door but, hopefully, not close enough for the pink-haired kunoichi to notice.
"But, but!" she insists on stubbornly, not giving up her groundbreaking suspicion "She seems OK, that's true, but then there's this something…" she trails off to give her words a thought "She feels like she's missing something, you know..?"
The two of them jump up when Sakura raises her head at the sound of the hospital door opening.
She stops in her tracks, completely frozen at the sight in front of her. Her eyes widen and her lips part slightly in disbelief. Is it really, finally..?
"Sakura," his deep voice is like a punch in the gut and when her eyes trail along messy, raven hair, worn out cape, to stop at these beautiful eyes she always feels pierced through by, she knows it's true. She could tell an imposer right away, but the man in front of her is a real thing.
"Sasuke-kun" she chokes out and, before she knows it, she's already pulling him tight to herself, letting out a breath she hasn't even know she's been holding for the past years since his leaving. He's surprised, at first, she can feel it in the way his body tenses at the sudden contact, and a part of her almost wants to pull away, if it weren't for the selfish longing that attracts her to him. But then she feels a gentle touch of his hand on her back and all doubt leaves her. "Welcome home," she whispers gently into his ear.
And the distinctive snort of his is enough to let her know he's glad he's back, too.
ZJeM, 26-28.03.15
From author:
Haru – Japanese word for spring.
Forever hail the pink-haired Queen! :D
THANKS FOR READING!